Fear's Attraction
by CrimsonAngel22
Summary: Diamond "D." Queen is always scared. Ever since she was little. So what happens to the scaredy cat when he father talks her into taking an internship at Arkham? And why does the Joker take an interest in her of all people?
1. Chapter 1

**(Hello wonderful people! I hope you enjoy my story!! 3 **

**A/N: I don't own The Dark Knight****)**

__Fear was my main emotion. It was the one I experienced most often and the one that hit the strongest. My anxiety levels were sky high and sometimes I had panic attacks. It didn't help either when my father got a new job. It wasn't just the fact that my father wasn't the most coordinated person alive, but it was the actual job I feared. My father was now a clumsy doctor for insane people. Yes, that's right, he now worked at Arkham Asylum. The crazy house for Gotham's loonies. My parents noticed my worry and told me that everything was fine. They said they were the parents and I was the 18 year old daughter so it wasn't my job to worry. I went on pretending to listen but the fear was always there.

Turns out, my father was very good at his job. Still, the fear was there, sitting in the pit of my stomach. Anything could happen. I still remember the worst fear I ever felt. It was one particular day in May. I had already graduated from high school and I was definitely excited for my last free summer. I was hoping to hang with friends 24/7.

So that morning I woke up and it was a bright, sunny day. It was 11:00a.m because I had a tendency to sleep in. I slipped out of bed and trudged downstairs. My mother had already left for work and my father was busy making coffee.

"Hello daddy-dearest," I chirped, plopping down in a chair.

He grinned and ruffled my already messy hair.

"Hey Squirt."

"How come you're still here?" I asked curiously.

"Well, Diamond, I go in late today."

I grimaced at the sound of my full name. I never understood why my parents named me after a rock.

"Dad, please call me D. Diamond sounds so stuck up," I begged.

"Diamond is the name on your birth certificate and it's the name I'm going to call you by," he gave me a stern look.

I jutted out my bottom lip and instantly his face softened. Since I his only child, my father hated making me unhappy. While I was glad of the advantage, it made me feel spoiled. So a lot of times, I let things go. I wasn't always my parents' only child though. I had a twin, a twin sister. She died during delivery and my mother didn't want to try again. They said they still loved me, though, with all their hearts. I still wonder what it would've been like with a twin. Her name would've been Ruby or Crystal, knowing my parents. Or maybe we both would've both been named normally. My father always tells me I was named Diamond because I was the jewel of their lives. Sounds kind of corny, but sweet.

"I'm thinking about getting a job this summer," I said.

My father stopped pouring his coffee. His face had that look where he's determined and excited. He turned around to face me.

"How would you feel about being an intern at Arkham?" he asked me.

I nearly spat out the orange juice I was drinking.

"A-Arkham?" I practically yelped.

My head was reeling. Me work at the place that all the crazy people are kept? The funny farm? I set my glass down and looked up at him. He looked positively thrilled by the idea. It would break his heart if I refused. He really liked this idea.

"That…sounds…interesting," I lied, flashing him a forced smile.

He clapped his hands, grinning like a maniac. I chuckled weakly.

"Great! Your mother already gave her consent. You can come today!" he said excitedly.

"Oh, yay," I mumbled.

"Come on, come on. Eat Squirt! We have to go soon!" he laughed.

I sighed, smiling faintly and got up.

*~*

After barely eating my breakfast, I flitted up the stairs to my room. I looked into my full length mirror at myself. My strawberry blonde hair was a disheveled wreck. It stuck up in every direction, in crazy curls. My cerulean blue eyes were on the verge of insanity, crazy from fear. Throw me a lab coat and I could be a mad scientist. I slipped on a pair of faded jeans and a white ruffle blouse. I ran a brush through my rat's nest of hair until it relatively straight. I pulled it back into a high ponytail, out of my eyes. I put my phone and wallet into my pocket and grabbed a pencil and paper. I flew down the stairs to my impatient father, who was blaring the car horn. I laced up my tennis shoes while my father drove us off to our deaths.

"You excited?" he asked giddily.

"Oh yeah…," I used sun glasses to cover up the visible fear in my eyes.

"It's your lucky day. We're getting a new inmate today. You can sit in on the interview if you like!" he exclaimed.

"Oh joy," I muttered, almost inaudibly.

I looked at the mop of blonde hair that adorned my father's head.

"Did you even brush your hair dad?" I asked.

"What? Oh no, it doesn't matter," he ran a hand through his hair.

I rolled my eyes. Great, embarrassed by my father on the first day. We pulled up to Arkham Asylum. It was a huge, foreboding building. There weren't any windows, so the inmates couldn't escape. My father pulled into a parking space marked R. Queen. Yes, my last name is Queen. So I am Diamond Queen. Stuck-up much? Yea, I hate my name.

"Dr. Queen, good morning!" we were greeted by a small, pudgy man. He was balding slightly with dark brown hair and milky gray eyes.

"Hello Dr. Moody!" my father grinned brightly.

"Who do we have here?" Dr. Moody questioned, eyes locked on me.

"This is my daughter, Diamond," my father said.

I flinched slightly under his gaze. I gave the best, polite smile I could muster and waved.

"Hello," I said quietly.

"Don't worry! My name doesn't describe my personality!" his laughter boomed out.

I couldn't help but smile.

We said goodbye to Dr. Moody and made out way inside.

My father led the way, introducing me to people along the way. I hated it. The whole place creeped me out. The hallways were hospital-like, with doctors and nurses bustling about. Then we started passing inmates. The first ones, dad explained, were the smaller criminals. Robbers, gang-members, and drug dealers. If the small ones scared me, I was terrified to see the big ones.

I noticed that there was a lot more security as we got further down. Eventually I saw the giant glass windows of the big ones' cells. I peered tentatively around, catching glimpses of the inmates. I avoided eyes of any inmates and ignored some of the obnoxious calls.

"Hey, we got new meat," cackled a guy with fiery red hair.

"Just ignore them Diamond. They can't hurt you," my father assured me.

"Ooh, Diamond's your name? It fits you, beautiful," he chuckled.

"Behave Edward," my father warned.

"Yes, sir," he mocked saluted.

We continued our walk when I noticed a cellar-like door made of metal in the ground.

"Hey dad," I tugged on his sleeve, "What's that for?"

He glanced at the door.

"Oh, that's where we keep Killer Croc." He said.

**(A/N: Well there ya go! The first chapter! R&R)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: Hii! I am back with the second chapter of Fear's Attraction! :D Thanks for the reviews. I will try my best to make my writing more colorful, I promise! I'm new to this so I'm still learning. All my chapters will tend to be quite short I guess. That's just how I write.)**

My eyes widened slightly, for a fraction of a second. Thankfully, my father didn't notice. I wracked my thoughts to make sure I heard him right. They actually have a criminal called Killer Croc? Why was my father so calm? He said it as if it were no surprise. Well, I guess to him it really wasn't. This place is absolutely insane.

"I…see..," I mumbled quietly.

"Don't worry, you'll meet him eventually," he assured me.

Finally we reached a small office at the end of the hall, a little ways away from the cells. I figured it only belonged to my father, since it was only big enough for one desk, two chairs and a small shelf. My assumption was proved false when we were greeted by another doctor. He was very tall; I had to look up at him, with light brown hair and sparkly blue eyes. He was relatively good-looking and looked to be in his mid-40s. I remembered my father mentioning him once or twice, but his name would not come to me.

"Good morning Dr. Queen," He smiled, and then looked at me, "Ah! You brought your daughter along."

"Yep, Diamond is going to be interning here for the summer," my father beamed, "Diamond, this is Dr. Jonathan Crane."

I blushed and gave Dr. Crane a small smile. I had no idea why I was acting so shy. I mean, I wasn't the most outgoing person, but this was ridiculous.

"Are you sitting in on the interview?" my father asked, eyes pleading.

"Wait, the interview today?" Dr. Crane interrupted, "Are you sure she should be in for this one?"

"Why not? It will be a good experience for her!" my father chirped, not letting his mood be crushed by Dr. Crane's uncertainty.

"Alright, if you're sure," he glanced at me.

I nodded feebly, in consent with my father.

"Why shouldn't I?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Damn my curious nature.

"No reason…interviews can just get a bit ugly sometimes," he answered quickly.

That familiar knowing began in the pit of my stomach and I nodded. The tone he used gave me the creeps. Dr. Crane launched into some boring lecture about the jobs and equipment of Arkham. I was only half listening, too busy thinking about the interview ahead. Many pessimistic questions popped into my head. What is the inmate escaped somehow? What if he or she had some kind of concealed weapon? I pushed those thoughts out of my head, determined not to see the bad side of things. Before I knew it, 1:00 rolled around. Interview time.

"Ready sweetheart?" my father asked happily.

No, I was not ready. I wanted to run, screaming like a frightened schoolgirl. But I merely gave him the best smile I could muster. We took a right turn down a short hallway. My father was looking very doctor-like, with his head held high and clipboard in hand. I smiled, proud of him. He seemed to love his job so much. A nurse with long blonde hair opened the door to the room for us and whispered something to my father quickly. I couldn't catch what she said, but I noticed my father's face pale a little bit. That was never a good sign.

We stepped forward into the brightly lit room, my father leading. It was barely furnished, only two chairs for the doctor and patient, a small coffee table between them, and a small wooden stool in the corner for me. There were no windows, for obvious reasons. When my eyes landed on the patient seated, I wanted to turn and run or puke, whichever came first. He was pretty tall and well built, but not overly muscular. His dingy green hair hung limply in front of his face. The dye was wearing out and I could that it was naturally dark blonde. His face is what scared me the most. It was covered in white splotches of stage makeup, the kind that clowns wear. He had colored the area around his eyes with charcoal, that made his already pitch black eyes seem endless. Long gags glow scars stretched out on his cheeks, pulling his face into a permanent smile. He accented them with super bright, ruby red lipstick. He grinned at us as we entered. I slid over to my stool and he didn't seem to notice me. Not that I minded of course. Fear bubbled inside me, like boiling water. It threatened to spill over into a glass-shattering shriek, but somehow I suppressed it and kept quiet.

"Doc!" he smiled as if this was the funniest thing he's ever experienced.

"Hello, Mr. Joker," my father answered calmly, sliding down into his own chair.

Hysterical giggles erupted from his lips. I didn't see the humor in this situation. He licked his lips, a quick flicking motion that I barely caught sight of. His dark eyes assessed my father for a few minutes before he looked at me. I felt my heart leap up into my throat and my insides clenched. Seeing me seemed to brighten his mood, if that was even possible.

"Well, hello be-au-ti-ful," he leered, separating the word into four syllables.

Again, the urge to bolt for the door came to life inside of me. I averted me eyes, too nervous to peer into those black orbs any longer.

"Aw, don'-t be rude now Doll," he _tsked_.

Swallowing the rising bile, I nodded in his direction.

"Good afternoon."

"What's your, ah, name?" he sounded as if we had just met casually.

"We will be asking the questions here, Mr. Joker," my father cut it.

This seemed to anger the Joker, but only slightly. His eyes darkened to pools of liquid onyx. Then, he laughed. His laugh was so sudden; it made me jump in my seat. It sent shivers all the way down my spine. It was loud and sounded very much like a madman.

"Whatever you say," he chuckled once he calmed down.

"Now, I know you will probably not answer this question, but I need to know why you do what you do," my father asked, getting right to the point.

"I like chaos," he said it as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"That's not a very good reason," my father tutted.

The Joker shrugged, but didn't elaborate.

I scribbled furiously on my piece of paper. His laugh cut through the air like knives, causing me to jerk my head up. When I did, I met his gleaming, feral eyes.

"Taking notes on me now, are we?" he crooned.

Just the sound of his voice was enough to make me shiver. It was the voice that everyone hears in their nightmares. The one you can always hear, no matter what you do. It follows you everywhere.

"That would be why I'm here, wouldn't it?" I shot back.

"Living up to the fiery red-headed personality, I see," he giggled.

Something inside of me, that was definitely not fear, burned like a fire. I found myself angrier than I usually am. I gritted my teeth and looked back down at my paper. A reference to my hair color was the one thing that riled me up. It was prejudice, something that irked me to no end.

"Hon, you may leave if you want," my father detected my discomfort and anger.

I hated giving the Joker the satisfaction of driving me off, it was like when you give an angry dog its bone back. They then feel like they can get away with whatever they wish. I doubted I could take much more of his taunting, though, so when the door clicked open, I let sulkily.

"See ya soon Doll," his icy voice called to my retreating back.

**(A/N: Well, there's chapter two! I can't really say that is was good because I usually hate all my writing, so yea. R&R ~Please, I welcome constructive criticism! ~)**


	3. Chapter 3

**(I'm back with the 3****rd**** chapter of Fear's Attraction! Enjoy!)**

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. His words kept repeating in my mind. _See ya soon Doll. _I hated the way it sounded. He really meant it. I could just tell by his tone of voice. The Joker always meant it. I opened my eyes and let out a high-pitch squeal. There was a boy, only a bit older than me, standing not too far from my face. I was so surprised that I dropped the contents in my arms. He looked equally as surprised. He went down to retrieve me stuff at the same time I did and we ended up smacking heads. It was just like an awkward scene in a chick flick. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"I'm s-sorry!" he laughed with me.

"I-Its okay," I said between giggles.

"I was coming over to see if you were okay, but I didn't expect you to open your eyes that quickly," he explained, his dark brown eyes laughing.

"Oh, yea. I'm fine," I smiled brightly.

"You sure? You looked pretty distressed when you came out," genuine worry laced his words.

"Yes, I'm sure. That interview was just…too much to handle," I bit my lip, my thoughts racing back to the demonic clown.

"Who was the inmate?"

"Uh, the new guy, Joker. The one who's been killing everyone," I muttered.

"You are only a first-timer. You shouldn't been in interviews with such a dangerous psychopath," he said sternly.

"I realize that now, but I can handle it. I'm not a baby," I muttered, suddenly feeling defensive, "I'm D. by the way. D. Queen."

"Dr. Queen's daughter? Nice to meet you, I'm Finn Haway," he smiled happily.

"It's a pleasure, though my head still hurts," I teased.

"What can I say? I have a hard head," he grinned playfully.

He looked down at my fallen paper, which was lying face up. I realized that the picture I drew was now visible to the world.

"Crap no…," I hissed under my breath as he picked it up.

"Oh? Are you a fan girl now?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No way," I growled, snatching the un-colored, unfinished picture of the Joker from Finn.

"That's really good," he commented, "Captures his insanity perfectly."

I glanced down at my doodle. The Joker was grinning like a fool, his insanity etched all over his face. I guess it was okay.

"Well, it was just a doodle," I shrugged.

"Looks more intricate than a doodle," he protested.

"Okay! I was trying really hard, happy now?" I huffed angrily.

"Very," he grinned cheekily.

I rolled my eyes and let a reluctant chuckle pass my lips. Pretty soon I saw about five guards, all armed, head into the interview room. Finn saw it too, apparently, because I saw him tense up a little.

"Time to go already?" a familiar voice giggled childishly.

The guards drug out the Joker, in all his strait-jacket glory. He looked giddy, kind of like an excited school girl. The guards ignored him, completely stony-faced. I had no idea how they did it.

"C'mon," I felt Finn tugging on my arm.

"Doll! You waited for me-e," I turned around to face the creep.

"No. I did not. I was talking to Finn here," I gestured to my new found friend.

Finn looked a bit intimidated, not that I blamed him. My heart was pounding a-mile-a-minute. The Joker glanced at him and let loose a wild giggle.

"That boy? He's just a toddler!" he cackled.

I saw Finn's jaw clench, but I quickly intervened, pulling Finn down the hallway with me. I didn't let go until we reached the office.

"Dr. Haway, ," Dr. Crane nodded at us, "How'd the interview go?"

"Why'd you let an intern sit in with _him?_" Finn practically growled.

"Her father insisted."

Finn sighed, obviously defeated.

I plopped down on the couch, pulling my drawing out of my pocket. I examined it intensely. It was actually quite good, not that I would admit it. I just wished I had gotten to finish it. I drew most of his hair and eyes but his smile scars were just faint outlines. Drawing had been a habit I picked up during math class. Needless to say, I didn't get an A in that class. I pulled out my pencil, tweaking some things on my drawing.

"What are you doing?" Dr. Crane questioned.

I looked up at him.

"…Drawing," I mumbled, hoping he would drop it.

He didn't.

"Drawing what?" he asked, peering over my shoulder. I didn't even bother looking at the expression on his face.

"Hmm, interesting," was all he said.

I glanced up at him, narrowing my eyes.

"I don't admire him or anything, so don't jump to any conclusions. I saw and…I don't know. The drawing just came to me," I said slowly.

"I never assumed anything," he assured me, smiling.

"Well, D., I have to get back to work. It was nice meeting you," Finn smiled at me.

"See you around," I smiled back.

He left the room and Dr. Crane went back over to his desk. Warmth spread through my stomach and I smiled to myself. I folded the picture up and stuck it in my pocket. Looking up, I saw my father open the door and make his way in. He looked around, eyes landing on me.

"Diamond, sweetie, are you okay?" he asked, sitting down next to me.

"Yea, dad, I'm fine," I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Okay, he was just hassling you a bit back there," he said, worried.

I shrugged.

"I'm fine; really."

He laughed.

"You're telling me not to worry? I never thought I'd see this day."

I narrowed my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and ruffled my hair affectionately.

"That was just beautiful, Ms. Queen," I saw Dr. Crane grin from his desk.

"Mind your own business Dr.," I smirked.

My father and Dr. Crane joked back and forth for a while. I smiled and sat back on the couch, happily watching.

~*~

"How scary was it?!" my best friend, Annabelle yelped over the phone.

"Lower your voice! You're screaming in my ear!" I said angrily.

"Sorry, sorry! But the JOKER?! Seriously?!" she squeaked.

I chuckled. As soon as I got home, I called my closest friend since 6th grade, Annabelle Pierce, and told her everything about my experiences at Arkham. She, of course, freaked out, demanding all the details. I told her about sitting in on the interview, the creepy way the Joker talked to me, and my meeting with Finn. That was her favorite part. She said he sounded like the perfect guy. Cute, funny and he was a doctor.

"Do you like him?" Annabelle asked curiously.

I nibbled on my bottom lip. Did I? I hadn't really thought about it that way. I didn't know him well enough, yet. Yes, he was attractive, but he could be a jerk.

"Not sure. I only just met him," I said.

"Ah, so true," she agreed.

"Mhm," I mumbled distractedly.

"D., you sound worried," she pointed out.

"Sorry, sorry. I just keep thinking about what the Joker said. You don't understand how terrifying he is," I sighed.

"He's locked up in Arkham. He can't touch you," she said, assuring.

But he had broken out before. It used to be all over the news. Some people say he's just a man, others say he's more. I only knew one thing: he was dangerous. It terrified me and fascinated me at the same time. How could he kill with no remorse? I needed to know more. I needed to know how he ticked. But I wasn't going to end up like the last girl who had gotten too close to him. Her name was Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Or Harley Quinn, as she was known by so many others. She had been assigned to the Joker, but he corrupted her. Twisted her mind and bent it to his will. She had been a captive of love. The Joker ended up killing her, though. He pushed her out a window. So much for love. That would not happen to me. So, I decided to sit in on another interview with him. I knew I was weak, my emotions always got the better of me, but I was just going to ignore them.

"Yea, I, uh, have to go Annabelle," I lied.

"…Alright. Get a good rest tonight," she said carefully.

I nodded and hung the phone up. I had a mission. I wanted to finish my drawing and learn more about this mysterious killer. Yes, it would be embarrassing if I was caught, but I was determined.

I went to bed that night in a very determined mood. I was a girl on a mission and nothing stood in the way of my goal.

** (There you go! That was the third Chapter! Please R&R!)**


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